Ethnic Russians flooded the streets of Crimea tonight as they celebrated the area's referendum to join with neighbouring Russia with fireworks and street parties.

Thousands revelled in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, where the population is around 58 per cent ethnic Russia, and Sevastopol.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers at the only military base in Crimea not to surrender to Russia looked distraught as they received the news of the Moscow bill - regarded as illegal by the international community.

Celebrating big: Ethnic Russian Crimeans celebrate on the central square in Simferopol hours after Vladimir Putin signed a bill supposedly making Crimea and the city of Sevastopol part of Russia

In Sevastopol, which was also annexed by Russia, people look at fire works in the center of the Crimean city

Red, white and blue: People wave Russian flags and cheer in the center of Simferopol on Friday night after voting to join Russia

Standing strong: Belbek is the last Crimean military base not to surrendered after the annexation by Russia

Until Kiev gives the soldiers orders on what to do, they are forced to watch the ethnic Russian locals celebrate the annexation of Crimea

Military personnel in Belbek, Crimea
now wait for orders from Kiev as they prepare to repel the attacks of
Crimea's pro-Russian self-defence units.

The
celebrations in Simferopol and Sevastopol came just hours after
President Vladimir Putin signed laws completing Russia's annexation of
Crimea.

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'Many people wanted this, to go back, not to the USSR, but to that big country of ours,'said Anna Zevetseva, 32.

'We are waiting for things to improve and for investment from Russia.'

Ukrainian and Tatar residents stayed behind closed doors.

Sergey,
a 64-year-old Ukrainian businessman who did not want to give his
surname, said he saw no reason to celebrate: 'An occupying force is in
my country and we have been annexed.'

Long wait: Ukrainian soldiers watch the news on TV as they wait for orders from Kiev to repel the attack of Crimea's self-defense units

The soldiers at Belbek are expecting to give Kiev's answer to the uprising and consequent annexation

Tug-o-war: Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk today signed parts of a highly symbolic deal on closer political ties with the EU, as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the legal annexation treaty

More than half of citizens in Simferopol are ethnic Russians, so were letting of fireworks in celebration of the news

Crimea voted to join Russia wih a huge majority, something which ethnic Ukranians and Crimean Tatars explain by saying they simply did not vote

People watch fireworks as the word 'Russia' is projected onto a government building during celebrations on the main square of the Crimean city of Simferopol

Vive la Ruski: A young boy waves a Russian flag as people look at fire works in central Simferopol

Throwback Friday: Crimeans wave Communist Soviet Union flags and Russian flags in Sevastopol, which will also me annexed, according to Russia

Last night David Cameron warned that Russia could make another land grab if the West does not stand up to Vladimir Putin over Crimea.

The Prime Minister said that unless the international community acts with resolve over Ukraine, there could be ‘similar situations in similar countries’.

He spoke amid concerns that the Kremlin may follow up its annexation of Crimea by absorbing a pro-Russian area of Moldova, known as Transnistria.

Tough talking: David Cameron holds a press conference at the end of the two-day European Council summit where he warned of further consequences for Russia if it continued to escalate the crisis in Ukraine

Ready for action: Mr Cameron's comments came as Ukrainian troops stepped up patrols on the Russian border in an attempt to pre-empt any further land grabs by the Kremlin in the country's east and south

Steely gaze: A Ukrainian border guard takes position during training at a camp in the village of Alekseyevka

Exercises: Soldiers were seen near Ukraine's eastern border strengthening defensive positions and drilling tactics in the event of an invasion in the region, which is home to many ethnic Russians

However, Mr Cameron’s call for tough action was undermined by a lacklustre response to the crisis by the EU.

Meeting
in Brussels, the 28 European leaders imposed travel bans and asset
freezes on 12 more Russians, bringing the total to 33.

They also
signalled support for Ukraine yesterday by signing an agreement on
closer economic ties designed to shore up the country’s failing economy.

Ukrainian armoured vehicles move to take up positions near to the border between Ukraine and Russia

A Ukrainian army tank takes up a position near to the Russian border. It comes as David Cameron called the crisis in Crimea 'a flagrant breach of international law'

A soldier from Ukraine on patrol at the border in the Karkiv region of the country

Mr
Cameron also refused to rule out targeting London oligarchs such as
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in the future – although aides said it
was unlikely.

And he called
on the football authorities to look into whether the awarding of the
2018 World Cup to Russia was above board. Russia beat England to the
title.

The weak response
from the EU was in stark contrast to that of the US, which targeted
members of Mr Putin’s inner circle and imposed trade sanctions.

It
also emerged that the US is preparing military exercises in Poland
which could also involve forces from the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states.

Moldova is a former
Soviet state nestled between Romania and Ukraine. A small strip of land
on its eastern border is known as Transnistria and is home to a
pro-Russian majority which declared independence from Moldova as the
USSR disintegrated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a law ratifying a treaty that makes Crimea officially a part of Russia during a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, defying Western leaders who say it belongs to Ukraine

No selfies this time... Mr Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt chat during a signing ceremony of political provisions of the Association Agreement with Ukraine at the summit in Brussels

European
diplomats are concerned that Moscow wants to reunite pro-Russian areas
in southern and eastern Ukraine with the mother country in a land
corridor reaching all the way to Transnistria.

Asked
whether he is concerned Moldova could be next on Mr Putin’s target
list, Mr Cameron said: ‘Obviously there were discussions about other
regions and areas.

‘I think
the general lesson people were drawing is that if this can happen in
Ukraine then we have to be clear about how unacceptable it is –
otherwise we will face similar situations in similar countries with
similar unacceptable behaviour.’

Last
night it emerged that London Mayor Boris Johnson is set to pull out of a
trade trip to Russia in October following the annexation of Crimea and
while sanctions remain in place against senior Russian politicians.